AI Brief
- Singapore recorded the world's worst air quality among major cities on October 9, according to Swiss air-quality monitoring website IQAir.
- The haze, caused by forest and peatland fires in Indonesia, led to unhealthy air conditions and increased respiratory illnesses in Singapore and Malaysia.
- The FIA stated that while outdoor entertainment at the Singapore Grand Prix may face restrictions, the race itself will proceed as planned.
AIR quality in Singapore worsened on Friday (October 9), securing the top spot as the world’s most polluted major city on Swiss air-quality monitoring website IQAir.
The transboundary pollution, also called haze, has been blamed on fires that are burning across vast stretches of forest and peatland across the Indonesian archipelago, sending emissions soaring, particularly in the hardest-hit areas of Sumatra and Borneo, and has caused unhealthy air conditions in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, with a rise in respiratory illnesses.
The haze has come ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix with the motorsport's governing FIA (International Automobile Federation) addressing concerns, saying restrictions on entertainment and other outdoor activities at this weekend's Grand Prix may take place but the race itself will not be affected.
“Because the F1 is such a special event … because I am such a big fan, I probably would care less about my health and think, oh well, it's just a few hours, how bad could it be,” said a first-time visitor to Singapore.
As of 12 p.m. (0400 GMT) on Friday, the air quality reading for Singapore stood at 216, within the “very unhealthy” range on IQAir’s website.
